MRSA Part 2

The risk factors of HA-MRSA are different than those of CA-MRSA.2 With HA-MRSA the risks are being hospitalized which is due to MRSA being a big concern still in hospitals because older adults and people with weakened immune systems are not able to fight the infection off alone, having an invasive medical device such as medical tubing that can help provide MRSA a pathway to travel around the person’s body, and residing in a long-term care facility because of the infection being so prevalent in nursing homes due to the ability to spread quickly.1 With HA-MRSA there is a risk of being hospitalized because older adults and those with weakened immune systems are not able to fight off infections. Invasive medical devices, such as medical tubing, can provide a pathway to travel around a person’s body.2 Thus, the infection is prevalent in nursing homes due to how quickly it is spread. For CA-MRSA the risk factors are a little different because of the locations that the infection in spread.1 Participating in contact sports is a very easy way to develop this infection through cuts and abrasions and skin-to-skin contact.2 Men having sex with men has a high risk of developing MRSA infections.2 Also, living in crowded conditions (such as military training camps, child care centers, and jails) have high risks of developing this infection.2

With any infection there can be complications. Complications for MRSA can become life-threatening if it spreads throughout the body. MRSA infections can affect the bloodstream, lungs, heart, bones, and joints, which is why it can be life-threatening. If and when the infection spreads through the body, it makes it much more difficult to treat because MRSA can actually resist the effects of many common antibiotics.2

References

MRSA infection. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mrsa/basics/symptoms/con-20024479

MRSA Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)? (Continued) - MedicineNet. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/mrsa_infection/page3.htm